No Brand Burger

No Brand Burger opened in Hongdae, Seoul, in August 2019. It belongs to Shinsegae Food, part of the Shinsegae retail group, and borrows both its name and its yellow-and-black look from No Brand, the budget private label of Shinsegae’s E-mart supermarkets. The motto is equally blunt: “Why pay more? It’s good enough.” It grew from ten restaurants in early 2020 to around 250 by 2024.

The whole idea is price. At launch the cheapest burger cost 2,800 won, a little over two US dollars, and the dearest 6,700. The group keeps costs down by supplying its own patties and vegetables through Shinsegae Foods, and the patties mix beef with pork rather than using beef alone. Burgers come as they are, without customisation, alongside sides such as coleslaw, cheese balls and nuggets.

Around 250 restaurants across South Korea.

• Freshness Burger (Japan, since 1992). Tokyo’s relaxed burger café, famous for a yellow bun made with pumpkin. Also built on beef and cheese.
• MOS Burger (Japan, since 1972). Japan’s answer to McDonald’s, where the buns can be made of rice. Also built on beef.
• Jollibee (Philippines, since 1978). The Philippine chain that beat McDonald’s at home, with sweet spaghetti on the side. Also built on beef.
• Lotteria (South Korea, since 1972). The Korean chain that once had more than double McDonald’s market share. Also built on beef.